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Where
is it? Conwy Valley, north Wales. Llanrwst to Llanrhychwyn via Trefriw.
Allow 3 hours, Distance 5.5 miles / 8 km
Why ? beautiful location ; historic church ; picturesque waterfall
; interesting plants ;
Essentials: Pack a Picnic
Rating : This is a moderate walk, mostly on metalled road, but
with one long steep hill section.
Car Parking : is available in Llanrwst Car Park or Llanrwst North
Railway Station.
Rail and Bus Services : For times of buses and trains in the Conwy
and Lledr Valley contact Travelline
Wales.com This walk is available from the Conwy Valley Railway train
stations. Alight the train at Llanrwst North Station.
Directions : [ Map
of Llanrwst to Llanrhychwyn Walk location ] 
From the A55 Expressway take the A470 at Glan Conwy Corner to Llanrwst.
Lets
Go !
Turn right on leaving the Station Car Park and follow the lane to
the Gower Suspension Bridge. The bridge spans the Afon (River) Conwy
and affords nice views of the river and the Conwy Valley. Continue along
the country lane to the village of Trefriw.
Trefriw is a delightful village that straddles the B5106 road from Betws
y Coed to Conwy. It sits on the west bank of the Conwy river.
On reaching the village there are a number of information boards listing
details of several local walks. The large building on the opposite side
of the road is the Trefriw Woollen Mill.
Turn left at the junction with the B5106 and continue along the road
for a short way until you reach the school building. Turn right here and
follow the road up the steep hill. Follow the road bearing left and on
your left you will see a small wooden sign pointing uphill to Llanrhychwyn.
Ignore the T junction and 
follow
the sign uphill as far as another road junction. Bear left here and begin
the climb up the even steeper hill through he woods. As you climb the
hill you are rewarded with views of the Conwy Valley and the town of Llanrwst.
While climbing the hill it might be comforting to know that you were walking
in the footsteps of Llywelyn
ap Iorwerth, (Llewelyn the Great, Prince of Wales), and his wife Joan,
daughter of King John of England.
Llywelyn Fawr as he was known in Welsh had a hunting lodge in Trefriw
and he would attend services at the ancient church of Llanrhychwyn situated
at the top of the hill above the village of Trefriw. It is said, and
after climbing the hill I am minded to agree, that Joan persuaded
Llywelyn to found another church (St Mary's Church) within the village
of Trefriw to obviate the climb to Llanrhychwyn.
On with the walk and nearing the top of the hill you will be further
rewarded with fantastic moss covered dry stone walls. They twist and
turn alongside the lane, forced to follow the rock cut contours of the
hillside. On reaching the top of the hill we leave the shade of the forest
and gain both respite from the climb and the open skies of the high pastures.
It becomes clear why they would build their homes at the top of such
a hill!
The
delightful country lane weaves between the rocky outcrops, streams and
fields covered with meadow flowers, and after a few hundred yards the
hamlet of Llanrhychwyn comes into view. But more inviting than the houses
there is a bench to rest those weary legs or simply to have a picnic.
At this point it is possible to continue on the walk down hill to Llanrwst
but I would strongly recommend the diversion to the ancient church
of Llanrhychwyn. The church is just half a mile or so along the
lane and well worth the extra effort. Turn right at the crossroad
and follow the bendy road up hill, past the telephone box. Continue
past two or three more cottages and the road again levels out. Ignore
the sign to Lake (Llyn) Geirionydd (that's for another day) and persevere
until the church comes into view in a field to the left of the road.
PART
TWO continue to the waterfall >
